Building for school in works

SHADY HILLS — Classical Preparatory Charter School, which is scheduled to open in August, plans to lease a soon-to-be constructed building on Shady Hills Road, not far from the Suncoast Parkway.

Pending county government approval, the 35,000-square-foot building would be built on property behind Quail Ridge Golf & Country Club at 12830 Shady Hills Road.

“It’s a beautiful piece of property,” said Anne Corcoran, one of the founders of the school. “We’re excited about it.”

The owner of the property, Suncoast Golf Inc., has submitted a preliminary development plan to the county, and the contractor, Anmar Builders Inc., said in a letter to the county that building-permit applications will follow shortly.

The school is hoping the county can expedite the approval process because opening day is less than five months away.

If the building isn’t ready, though, the school has a backup location where the 338 students could be housed for the first few weeks of school, Corcoran said.

Charter schools are public schools that are privately run but don’t charge tuition because they receive taxpayer funding. Students are chosen by a lottery if more apply than the school can enroll.

Corcoran, who is an attorney and the wife of state Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Lutz, said Classical Preparatory has already held its lottery and is going through the registration process. Most of the students will be from Pasco County, but some are from Hillsborough and Hernando, she said.

As befits the school’s classical education theme, students will be required to study subjects such as Latin, logic and moral philosophy. Among the school’s board members is Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco.

The Pasco County School Board approved Classical Preparatory’s application to start a charter school in October 2012. Originally, the school expected to open in 2013, but delayed a year because it needed more time to find a location.

In its first year, the school will serve students in kindergarten through eighth-grade, but plans to add a grade each year until all four years of high school are offered.